Major Parties Spend Big But Clive Palmer Goes Larger

Clive Palmer invested more on political campaigning in the last monetary year than the two significant celebrations combined, contribution records reveal.


Mr Palmer's Mineralogy pumped nearly $53 million into last May's federal election, according to Australian Electoral Commission data launched on Monday.


The mining clothing invested almost $200 million on all its political marketing in the 2024/25 financial year, but the billionaire failed to get any prospects from his Trumpet of Patriots party elected.


The Labor Party and all its state and territory branches got more than $150 million in the monetary year and invested almost $160 million.


The then-coalition, which included Liberal and National state branches as well as a joint branch in Queensland and the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory, received more than $220 million and spent nearly $215 million.


The Greens got almost $36 million and invested more than $40 million while One Nation got and spent just over $3.3 million.


The doesn't separate major-party costs for the year and the election as it does for 3rd celebrations.


Conservative advocacy outfit Advance Australia invested more than $10 million on the election and made $13.5 million in political payments.


Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting pumped practically $900,000 into Advance in a year.


Progressive advocacy group GetUp raised concerns about rich donors propping up right-wing campaign attire like Advance, which claimed to be a grassroots movement.


The Australian Education Union spent $5.5 million on the election, the Australian Council of Trade Unions nearly $5.5 million, the mining and energy union $3.8 million and the United Workers Union $1.5 million.


Progressive funding car Climate 200, which backs independent prospects, invested $5 million in the federal election while Better Australia, set up to project against the teal independents, spent more than $1.2 million.


Labor protected a massive bulk with 94 lower home seats, while the union slipped to 43.


2024-25 financial disclosure returns are now reside on the Transparency Registerhttps:// t.co/ A6LbFXu2WH https://t.co/rqe1khhIVk


- AEC (@AusElectoralCom) February 1, 2026


The federal election was the last to include uncapped costs and contributions before reforms, including spending caps, entered into impact in mid-2026.


Major parties will just be able to spend $90 million on elections across the country while third-party groups will be restricted to $11 million.


The Australia Institute criticised the ramped-up money splashes and while director Bill Browne welcomed election reforms, he said they didn't go far enough as there were loopholes that suggested money payments to significant parties could go undiscovered.


This suggested Australians would be left in the dark about who was purchasing access to politicians, he stated.


"Even with improved contribution disclosure guidelines, there will be cash-for-access payments that Australians never learn about," he stated.


Greens democracy spokesperson Steph Hodgins-May criticised Labor and the Liberals for taking cash from nonrenewable fuel source, gaming and pharmaceutical companies in addition to the major banks, linking an absence of policy action to the companies' impact over the government.


SportsBet, Tabcorp and gambling lobby Responsible Wagering Australia gave a combined $166,500 to Labor and $92,500 to the Liberals.


Major donors mostly hedged their bets in between Labor and the coalition.


Pratt Holdings, led by billionaire entrepreneur Anthony Pratt, provided Labor $2 million and the Liberal Party $1 million.


Meriton provided Labor $100,000 and the Liberals $500,000 while the Pharmacy Guild offered Labor $245,000 and the union $73,000.


Oryxium, an investment firm linked to business owner Frank Lowy, contributed $1.8 million to the Liberals, while DoorDash provided the celebration $780,000.


The food shipment company likewise gave $124,000 to Labor.


Fox Group, headed by trucking giant and billionaire Lindsay Fox, offered the Liberals $500,000 and the Labor Party almost $540,000.


Mining company Adani offered $640,000 to the Liberals, while Hancock Prospecting gave the Liberals' Victorian branch $105,000.